Verbena plant named `VEAZ0051&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new  Verbena  plant named ‘VEAZ0051’ particularly distinguished by the fact that it is early to flower, has bi-colored, red and white medium sized flowers, medium inflorescences, deep green foliage, and a trailing plant habit.

Latin name of the genus and species of the plant claimed: Verbena hybrida.

Varietal denomination: ‘VEAZ0051’.

BACKGROUND OF THE NEW PLANT

The present invention comprises a new Verbena, botanically known as Verbena hybrida, and hereinafter referred to by the variety name ‘VEAZ0051’.

‘VEAZ0051’ is a product of a planned breeding program. The new cultivar is very early to flower, has bi-colored, red and white medium-sized flowers, medium inflorescences, deep green foliage, and a trailing plant habit.

‘VEAZ0051’ originated from a mutation found in August 2011 in a greenhouse in Enkhuizen, The Netherlands.

The parent was an unpatented proprietary plant designated ‘N1287-1’ with a scarlet flower color and a semi-trailing and vigorous plant habit. ‘N1287-1’ lacks white in the flowers and has smaller flowers than ‘VEAZ0051’.

‘VEAZ0051’ was selected as one flowering part of the mother plant in August 2011.

The first act of asexual reproduction of ‘VEAZ0051’ was accomplished when vegetative cuttings were propagated from the initial selection in August 2011 in a greenhouse in Enkhuizen, The Netherlands.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF INVENTION

Horticultural examination of plants grown from cuttings of the plant initiated in August 2013, and continuing thereafter, has demonstrated that the combination of characteristics as herein disclosed for ‘VEAZ0051’ are firmly fixed and are retained through successive generations of asexual reproduction.

‘VEAZ0051’ has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary significantly with variations in environment such as temperature, light intensity, and day length.

A Plant Breeder's Right for this cultivar was applied in the European Union on Oct. 2, 2017, No. 2017/2456. ‘VEAZ0051’ has not been made publicly available prior to the effective filing date of this application, notwithstanding any disclosure that may have been made less than one year prior to the effective filing date of this application by the inventor or another who obtained ‘VEAZ0051’ directly from the inventor.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be basic characteristics of the new variety. The combination of these characteristics distinguishes this Verbena as a new and distinct variety.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographic drawings show typical flower and foliage characteristics of ‘VEAZ0051’ with colors being as true as possible with an illustration of this type.

FIG. 1 shows three flowering plants of the new variety in a hanging basket.

FIG. 2 shows a close-up of the inflorescence.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The plant descriptions and measurements were taken in Andijk, The Netherlands on Jun. 26, 2018 indoors in natural light. The plants used were about 12 weeks of age, growing in a 23 cm hanging basket, 3 plants each, in a greenhouse.

The aforementioned photographs were taken in Gilroy, Calif. USA as described.

Color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart (R.H.S.) 2001.

TABLE 1 DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE NEW VARIETY ‘VEAZ0051’ AND A MOST SIMILAR VARIETY ‘VEAZ0011’ (U.S. Plant ‘VEAZ0051’ Pat. No. 24,006) Flowersize: Larger Smaller Earliness: Earlier Later Floriferoussness: Good Medium

-   Plant:     -   -   Form, growth and habit.—Herbaceous, upright vigorous and             free-branching.         -   Plant height.—16.0 cm.         -   Plant height (inflorescence included).—24.0 cm.         -   Plant width.—45.0 cm. -   Roots:     -   -   Number of days to initiate and produce roots.—10-14 days at             about 22 degrees C.         -   Type.—Fine, fibrous, free branching.         -   Color.—RHS N155C but whiter. -   Foliage:     -   -   Arrangement.—Opposite, simple.         -   Immature, leaf color, upper surface.—RHS 137A.         -   Immature, leaf color, lower surface.—RHS 137B.         -   Mature, leaf color, upper surface.—RHS 137A.         -   Mature, leaf color, lower surface.—RHS 137B.         -   Length.—3.8 cm.         -   Width.—3.1 cm.         -   Shape.—Ovate.         -   Base shape.—Cordate.         -   Apex shape.—Acute.         -   Margin.—Lobed, sinuate.         -   Texture, upper surface.—Densely pubescent.         -   Lower surface.—Canescent; glandular hairs.         -   Color of veins, upper surface.—RHS 144C.         -   Color of veins, lower surface.—RHS 147C.         -   Pattern of veining.—Pinnate.         -   Petiole, color.—RHS 147D.         -   Petiole, length.—0.5 cm.         -   Petiole, width.—0.13 cm.         -   Texture.—Hirsute. -   Stem:     -   -   Branching characteristics.—Potentially at every node.         -   Quantity of main branches per plant.—About 11.         -   Color of stem.—RHS 143B.         -   Stem length.—25-29 cm.         -   Stem width.—0.3 cm.         -   Length of internodes.—2.5 to 4.5 cm.         -   Texture.—Canescent.         -   Color of peduncle.—RHS 144B.         -   Length of peduncle.—4.6 to 6.3 cm.         -   Peduncle diameter.—0.2 cm.         -   Texture.—Canescent. -   Inflorescence:     -   -   Type.—Umbel-like, but actually a spike, umbrella-shaped to             nearly semi-spherical.         -   Blooming habit.—Continuously flowering through the summer             months.         -   Lastingness of individual blooms On the plant.—About 4 days             in the greenhouse.         -   Fragrance.—Light sweet smell.         -   Number of inflorescences per plant.—About 34 at various             stages.         -   Horizontal diameter of inflorescence.—About 6.1 cm.         -   Depth of inflorescence.—4.2 cm.         -   Number of florets per inflorescence (including any buds at             the time).—20. -   Bud (just when opening/showing color):     -   -   Color.—RHS 68B.         -   Length.—0.4 cm.         -   Width.—0.3 cm.         -   Shape.—Tubular with bulbous apex. -   Floret:     -   -   Form.—Sessile; salverform, composed of 5 partly fused petals             at the base, with a base of a narrow tube.         -   Immature color, upper surface.—RHS 46C with RHS N155C shades             in a star shaped pattern.         -   Immature color, lower surface.—RHS 63B.         -   Mature color, upper surface.—RHS 46B with RHS N155C shades             in a star shaped pattern.         -   Mature color, lower surface.—RHS 63A.         -   Floret diameter.—3 cm.         -   Floret length (depth).—2.9 cm.         -   Petal length.—1.4 cm.         -   Petal width.—0.9 cm.         -   Shape.—Obcordate.         -   Apex shape.—Emarginate.         -   Margin.—Entire.         -   Petal texture, upper surface.—Papillose.         -   Petal texture, lower surface.—Glabrous.         -   Corolla tube length.—1.3 cm.         -   Corolla tube width.—0.15 cm.         -   Corolla tube color inside.—RHS 150C.         -   Tube color outside.—RHS 150D to RHS 145C at floret base.         -   Corolla texture, inside.—Papillose, long white hairs.         -   Corolla texture, outside.—Glabrous.         -   Throat hair color.—RHS 155D but whiter. -   Calyx:     -   -   Type.—Five sepals whose margins are fused to each other             along their length, with a transparent membrane of less than             0.1 cm in width, and with one smaller sepal attached to the             base of the calyx.         -   Color of sepals.—RHS 144B.         -   Length of sepals.—1.3 cm.         -   Width of sepals.—0.2 cm.         -   Sepal shape.—Fused, linear.         -   Apex shape.—Acute.         -   Margins.—Entire.         -   Texture.—Densely covered with short hair, also glandular             hairs. -   Reproductive organs: -   Gynoecium:     -   -   Pistil.—1.         -   Pistil length.—1.5 cm.         -   Style color.—RHS N144C.         -   Style length.—1.3 cm.         -   Stigma color.—RHS 144A.         -   Ovary color.—RHS 144B.         -   Ovary length.—0.2 cm.         -   Ovary width.—0.1 cm. -   Androecium:     -   -   Stamens.—Anthers and filaments fused to upper half of             corolla tube; four anthers with two pollen sacs per anther.         -   Color of filaments.—RHS 151D.         -   Filament length.—0.1 cm.         -   Anther color.—RHS 151D.         -   Anther length.—0.1 cm.         -   Pollen amount.—Little.         -   Pollen color.—RHS 1B. -   Fertility/seed set: Neither seed nor fruit production has been     observed. -   Disease/pest resistance: Resistance to pathogens and pests common to     Verbena has not been observed. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A new and distinct variety of Verbena plant named ‘VEAZ0051’ substantially as illustrated and described herein. 